After New York, every subsequent gay marriage approval is going to seem less exciting, but this is still a thing. Judge Fernando Henrique Pinto ruled that two men could convert their civil union into a full marriage, a right that’s been lobbeyed for since the Supreme Court recognized same-sex civil unions in May, but stopped short of approving marriage.

Given that this is taking place in a country with a largely Roman Catholic demographic, this is kind of a huge deal. That said, it’s not clear that the ruling is setting a national precedent – although it’d be odd if this were just a once off thing.

Said Jose Bednarski, a Sao Paulo state attorney:

“The federal constitution establishes as a fundamental objective of the Federal Republic of Brazil to promote the good of everyone without bias of gender or any other form of discrimination
…
This certainly includes the choice or sexual orientation of a person.”

In a report earlier this year by Grupo Gay da Bahia, 260 gay people were murdered in 2010 in Brazil, up 113% since 2005.

[Source: Washington Post]

[Image via Getty]